Building brick



J. P.VWILLIAMS.

BUILDING BRICK.

APPLICATION man Aualo. |921.

Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

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`UNITED STATES JAMES P. WILLIAMS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

BUILDING BRICK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

Application iled August 10, 1921. Serial No. 491,173.

To @ZZ whom. t may concern Be it known that I, .Lungs P. VILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in uilding Bricks, of which the :following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying' drawing'.

This invention relates to building-bricks or blocks, and especially to what are generally known as air-cell bricks and also as one-handed -blocks; and the invention compiehends a wall structure built of these bricks or blocks as well as the brick or block itself.

It is an object of the invention to provide a building-brick of cellular form, and one which will possess maximum strength and be capable of convenient and economical manufacture. i

lt is also anA object ofthe invention to pro vide a brick which includes a plurality of air cells and. also, means disposed intermediate the Vcells for catching or receiving moisture which may seep through the mortar-joint and for carrying the saine away.

A further object of the invention con-` templates the utilization of one of the cellular memberspreferirbly the central one as a hand-hold in the handling of the bricks,

wherebyfthe weight of the brick is evenly` distributed, making a balanced article when being handled by a' workman..

The invention has other objects, of more or less importance and advantage, all as will herein be made apparent from the following description.

.in order that the invention may be readily understood, I have disclosed the same in the accompanying drawings; b'ut these are to be understood as merely-illustrative of a preferred and practical embodiment, as the invention is susceptible of a wide range of modification and variation wit-hout departing "from its spirit or sacrificing any of its salient features or underlying principles.

'In these drawings:

Figure l is a viewin perspective of a single brick embodying my invention; and

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of two bricks arranged in superposed relation, as when forming a part of a wall construction.

Referring to these` drawings, the reference-numeral l designates, in general, one of my improved one-handed bricks, the saine being rectangular 'in form and of wallwidthwi'se dimensions. In Fig. 2, two of these bricks are shown, one superposed upon the other and separated by a layer of mortar 2, as usual. l

Each brick, preferably and as shown, ineludes two load-sustaining side-members 3, 3. These side members are so formed as to have their upper surfaces 4 and their` lower sur- .faces or base-portions 5, respectively, lying in common planes; that is to say. the upper surfaces 4t of the two side members aie disposed iii the saine horizontal plane, as well as the two lower surfaces 5 being disposed in the same horizontal plane. v

-Each load-sustainingrmember is formed with a longitudinallyextending air-cell 6, which may be of any required form or dimension. These cellsy extend the entire length of the brick and provide two of a plurality of air-conduits for each brick.

ExtendingV between and connecting the load-sustaining members is a transverse horizontal web 7 which, with the base portions 5 of the load-sustaining members, constitutes the base of the brick. l

For the purpose of providing a handhold and an additional air-cell, I have shown each brick as formed with two` transverse connecting webs 8, 8, disposed above and parallel with the base-'web 7, which connect with and entstand from the inner walls 9 of each load-sustaining member. Upstanding from these connecting webs are two side walls 10, 10, to which is connected an upper transverse, horizontal web 1l disposed in the same plane with the top webs 4 of the load-sustaining members. I

The walls 9 of the load-sustaining members, the webs 8, and the walls l0 form a moisture-receiving channel l2 at one side of each of the load-sustaining members. It will be noted that the upper transverse web 'll is disposed in parallelism with the baseweb 7, and that it is connected to the sidewalls of the load-sustaining members above a plane passing through the centers thereof by what l shall hereinafter refer to as an angular web which includes the horizontal web 8 and the vertical web or wall 10. These angular webs and the connecting upper-web l1 constitute a hand-hold disposed between the load-sustaining members so that these portions are balanced in relation to the hand-hold.

The base-web 7, the uppertop web 11, the angular connecting webs, and portions oi the load-sustaining walls tral air-cell 13.

For wall and similar construction work, the bricks are preferably to be superposed one upon another, as shown in ld`ig.12,a layer or course of mortar 2 being laid upon the upper lsurfaces l ont each load-sustaining member. 'As thuswarranged, the loadsustaining members occupyk aposition one provide a cen- Vabove another with a layerof course of mortar 'spacing them apart.

' By re'son 'oi' the fact' that the lcentral top'web 11` is, as faforemeiitioned, in V'the Vsame plane as the upper surfaces of thev load-sustaining members and 'isn'ot covered with mortar, vit will be observed from Fig. 2 that,y consti-i'icting a wall oi these bricks, there are but two mortar-contactingpoints, these beingthe upper surfaces tot the two load-sustaining members and the base-portions 5' of the superposedfbrick, so lthat* there is provided "an 'additional chamber'or air-cell lll formed by the lowersurface, of the basefwebl l and the upper surface ot' the top-web ll, this chamber being spaced from theniortar of the l`oad-sus tainingmembers by these moisture-receiving channels 12,V and this construction and ar'- rangement preclude any moisture that y'may seep through the mortar-joint Qffroiii' passingwbeyond the channels l2. vThus, the chamber lll constitutes moisture-free lspace betweei'i:eachl proximate brick.V Y 'i "lain aware that it 'has' heretofore been proposed to provide bricks with so-called interlocking webs7V o n their lowersurfaces, whic'l'if'are 'adapt'edjto' register 'with depres- -lcuredz l therein 'by afflayerl of mortar; bi'itffsuch brjicksginjuse have been"deinenstrated tov be` sions' in the "subj acent brick and be objectionable, in that there .isfbut a slight unbroken mortar-joint, soy that moisturel seel'iing'finfwill work across the ebricka'nd into-'the inner wall of the dwelling. Y

lnherein, referring to the building- `element asan air-cell brick or one-handed block, l intend these terms to comprehend all building tiles which are adapted to be. handled by the one' hand `oi" a workman,

Ordinarily, these building elements vary in size"from'Bv inches long, l inches wide, and l inches thick, to an element of' the same length :and ,thickness ,but of double width. The term brick has been defined by the National Brick Manufacturers ifssociation body of burned lclay vor' :cla-yanatter, either solid or cored, of rectangular shape,

v y This size is known as the brick )L l- :i -L i. 4 v standard. In increasing the measurements, eitlier'as to length, widthor thickness, the

article produced 1 is 'termedv a block V`or1 ltile; Y At the present time, the designan Vtion for a buildingelementi,xfoiwall-con struction, 'in whichthe element las a single unit extends from'the face to the rear of the wall and is provided with air-cellstherein, is load-bearing building-tile. However, if this element is ofsuch measurements that it can be handled by the one hand of 'amworkmam it is designated one-handed buildingfblock or one-handedbuildingtile. Furthermore, it' the element is adapted'to withstand' greatcrushing strength, it is also termed load-bearingtile in order tork distinguish itivfromthe non-load-Ybearin'g tile or what is commonly known asV tirer proofing tile. ,The average standard'sized solid vbrick 'weighs about' sixV pounds, while an air-cell brick (so-called) weighs about seven pounds. j

From the foregoing, it will be perceived that the building-brick which comprises the present invention constitutes a simple and eii'ectual means of' meetinv' JcheVVV advan- V f.: taveous and avoiding the' disadvantaoeous D i C D features above set forth, and vwhile Vit has been described andyillustrated in the embodiment' herein shown"7 it will be understood that l do net wish to liniitniyselt` to the precise form' of this disclosure, as maiiyfchanges in the construction and gen-V eralarrangenient of the'p'art's may be made Yifo 5 an upper horizontal transverse web parallel-v p ing thel base of the'brick and spared therefrom, and right-angular webs conne'ctedto i theends of ltheupperweb and'to 'the sustaining members; the angular andupper webs constituting a hand-hold between'fth'e sustaining members and balanced 'in 'relation toy the sustaining members; the' .walls fofithe angular webs andsustaining members con".y stituting moisture-receiving Y' channels all part'sfofA the lbrick 'being Vinc'ludedj between the planes of the upperandlower surfaces of'the'sustaining members.V l

2.- A building-brick comprising load-sustaining'members` each provided with" a 'longitudinally-extending air-cell andeach having a base-portion, `a lower KVhorizontalftrans-v verse web connectingdthe base-portions rof the" sustaining' members and constituting with' said, ba'seportions a base `for ,the brick?- an upper vhorizontal vtransverse web parallelef rfomi'. and aiilgjgulai webs, connected 'ltofl'the ends of the upperweb land tothe sidewalls ofthe sustaining members the' angularan'd upper webs constituting a hand-hold between the sustaining members and balanced in rela-tion to the sustaining members; the walls of the angular webs and sustaining members constituting moisture-receiving channels; all parts of the brick being included between the lower surfaces of t e sustaining members.

3. A building-brick comprising load-sustaining members each provided with a longitudinally-extending air-cell and each having a base-portion, a lower horizontal translverse web connecting the'base-portions of Vreceiving channels; all parts of the brick being included between the planes of the upper and lower surfaces of the sustaining members.

4. A building-brick comprising load-sustaining members each provided with a longitudinally-extending air-cell and each having a base-portion, a lower horizontal transverse web connecting'the base-portions of the sustaining members and constituting with said base-portions a base for the brick, an upper horizontal transverse web paralleling the base of the brick and spaced therefrom, and angular webs connected to the ends of the upper web and to thev side walls of the sustaining members; the angularrand upper webs constituting a hand-hold between the sustaining members and balanced in relation to the sustaining members; the walls of the angular webs and sustaming members constituting moisture-recelving lanes of the upper andV channels; the walls of the upper and lower transverse webs, the angular webs and the portions of the sustaining members constituting a central air-cell; all parts of the brick being included between the planes of the upper and lower surfaces of the sustaining members.

5. A building-brick comprising load-sustaining members each provided with a longitudinally-extending vair-cell and each having a base-portion, a lower horizontal transverse web connecting the base-portions of the sustaining members and constituting with said base-portions a base for the brick, an upper horizontal transverseweb paralleling the base of the brick and spaced therefrom, and right-angular webs connected to the ends of the upper web and to the sustaining members; the angular and upper webs constituting a hand-hold between the sustaining members and balanced in relation to the sustaining members; the walls of the angular webs and sustaining members constituting moisture-receiving channels; all parts of the brick being included between the planes of the upper and lower surfaces of the sustaining members; the base-portion of the' brick being continuous and uninterrupted. Y

6. A building-brick comprising side loadsustaining members, hollow throughout their length; a `base-web connecting the members at their lower portions; top webs connecting the members between their upper and lower portions; a central mortarjoint breaking member spaced from the sustaining-members; and a plurality of right angular channels formed in the upper portion of the brick between the central member and the sustaining members.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES P. WILLIAMS. 

